Exactly a month back, the university was in uproar about the state of the cafeteria. And this was when things weren't too bad, when we the students thought this was a good time to make things better. We talked about better food in "An Open Letter to the Country Club Management," about better hygiene in "Filth Affairs," and about a better system in "Is the Cafeteria to Serve the Students or the Clock?" And we weren't even complaining. We were looking for improvement.
Dear Sir,
As students of the Textile Institute of Pakistan, we are happy to have the services of your reputable club managing our catering services. I'm sure you are already aware that catering to a university is far different from the services required for a club or other organization. And especially so for a residential university.
Many of our students live on campus and rely on your catering services for more than our basic nutritional needs. We're very happy with the staple diet of one sabzi and one 'meat' dish offered at every mealtime. It gets us through the day quite nicely, sustaining us through our classes and extra-curricular activities. But sometimes, only sometimes, some of us think we could be happier. Wouldn't a more balanced diet consisting of more vegetable, more fruit result in a more content student? Maybe a choice of some fine desserts after meals, and the availability of snacks and juices during the day, a selection of off-the-shelf chips, biscuits and candies? But that's probably a distant dream, and probably not your responsibility.
Continue reading "An open letter to the Country Club management" »
By Fakeha Naeem TDT3
But stomach growling, parched lips, dehydrated hungry students, Where to go to quell the hunger pangs? Cafeteria? No way! Wrong answer.
You ask why? Well, simply because the cafeteria has no food to offer to the students, the only thing one can stuff oneself with, is tea which is available 24/7 and has absolutely no nutritional value attached to it.
Every single day the same dialogue is repeated between the students and the caterers.
"Kuch khane ko hai?"
"Nahi jee nashta aik ghante pehle khatam hu gaya hai"
"Biscuits? Chips? Sandwiches?"
"Sandwiches will be ready at 10 not before that"
OR
"Sandwiches abhi mileain gay?"
"Nahi jee it's 11:30 ab lunch hour hai"
"Can we have some fries?"
"Jee only at 3"
Continue reading "Is the cafeteria to serve the students or the clock?" »
Hearing the name country club catering, one expects great tasting, high quality food along with excellent hygiene standards. As I write this article I'm asking myself if I should go on and describe the situation to my full potential of the thought that people might stop eating in the cafe altogether after reading the gruesome details that I have to offer.
My thoughts are scattered and I'll try and make them as sequential as possible. Starting with the cutlery, is it ever washed? Ofcourse it is! Why it’s dipped in a tub of warm water every now and then. I doubt that there's barely a student who will not bear witness to the fact that the forks and spoons have residues of the previous weeks food from someone or the other's mouths clung all over them. That includes the resident cat that is often seen on the table eating from the food trays. Turn your head away for a moment and the next thing you see a cat sitting in your food tray staring at you in the face.